


A Hybrids Journey

by ViceRoy21



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Hinted past abuse, Human Names, M/M, Slavery, anthromorphs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:34:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViceRoy21/pseuds/ViceRoy21
Summary: In a world divided, can a young hybrid survive long enough to return home?(I may change the title at a later date if I think of something better)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this about 8 years ago while in high school. I became side tracked after about 10 chapters so it isn't finished but I hope to one day change that. This is probably the second longest story I have written next to my Harry Potter Naruto crossover (rip).  
If it comes out good enough I might even one day turn it into a real book (fingers crossed). I will post each chapter after I finish transferring it from the messy scrawl of paper into the clean world of the internet so it may take a couple days to get it all put up. I really need to quite giving myself so many stories to write all at once XD  
I love how my notes end up longer than the stories description lol.  
Chapters may seem rather short, I'm shit when it comes to writing on paper cause my words take up so much space.

It is the year 109 A.S. and the battle between two species continues to rage, the great war between Mankind and Anthromorphs. These two great races once lived side by side in harmony… but Mankind grew restless and their minds grew corrupt; it was their belief that they were the dominant race and the Anthromorphs belonged under their rule. The Anthromorphs were enraged by the attempts of the humans, Mankind was violating the ancient treaty between their two races.

Not willing to give in the Anthromorphs fought back, showing that they were not weak or defenseless. Soon the battle grew to the point of splitting the two species apart, driving them to separate ends of the earth. Ever since that day, things have changed drastically for both Man and Anthromorphs; slavery is common among both, hunters search for prey of the opposite species to sell in the markets, half breeds are treated with disdain and contempt to the point of being outlawed and lynched.

The laws differ from region to region but one thing is certain, no one species is safe from these fiendish laws; not even those that live in the neutral communities, communities of mixed species that live in harmony and away from prejudice. Our story begins in one such region with a young half breed man.

Ludwig Beilschmidt, a 16 year old German Shepherd hybrid, was working in the fields of his parents small farm. He spent much of his time helping his parents because his older half brother, a human named Gilbert, often spent his time with his two best friends causing trouble for others in their small community instead of helping at home. His friends Antonio and Francis, a human and cat Anthromorph respectively, always tagged along. They schemed of ways to nick drinks and to smooth talk their way into as many beds of both races as possible. Together the three were known as the Big Trouble Trio.

Today was a day like any other. Gilbert snuck away without doing his chores, leaving them for Ludwig to do. Ludwig loved his brother, admired him even, and did not want him to get into more trouble than he would no doubt be getting into. So when Gilbert slipped off, Ludwig took up his brother’s chores without complaint. He was in the middle of feeding the chickens when Gilbert and his friends come running back a short time later.

Now this wouldn’t have been much cause for alarm if not for two reasons. 1) his brother was home to early and 2) he never looked like he did at that moment. His hair, even though it was usually messy, looked like something had tried to eat it which caused it to stick up every which way. His clothes, like his hair, were usually messy but at the moment they were a complete mess. 

When Ludwig saw his brother, he thought nothing of it at first, but as he grew closer Ludwig could sense something was off. When Gilbert spotted his brother he started to wave his arms and was shouting at him. He couldn’t make out what had his brother so alarmed so he left the chicken pen and moved toward him. As Gilbert became closer he could make out what the albino was saying.

“WEST! GET INSIDE! HURRY!” Gilbert shouted. Ludwig stood staring at his brother in confusion, not understanding why he had to hurry inside. Before he could ask why, he felt the ground begin to rumble under his feet, as if a stampede were coming their way. Soon the source of the rumbling appeared .

From what he could see there were a dozen or so Anthromorphs on horses, not too far behind his brother. Cursing, he hurried back to the house to warn his parents. His parents hurried outside at his frantic calls. His father was a full German Shepherd Anthromorph and his mother was almost an exact copy of his older half brother, a human with white hair and red eyes.

“Ludvig, vhat is ze matter?” his father called as they hurried to meet him. He reached his parents and pointed to the group of Anthromorphs that were gaining on his brother and his brother’s friends.

“Gilbert!” his mother cried out in fear.

“Damn, vhat have zey done now?” His father growled then looked over at Ludwig “Son, go inside und vait, don’t show yourself until I call for you”.

“But Vater” Ludwig began, only to get a warning snarl from the older Shepherd. He went quiet and obediently went inside, though he quickly moved to the window and kept vigil there. His brother soon arrived with his friends, his father angrily scolding them. Before he could finish his scolding, the group of Anthromorphs arrived, their horses prancing about with excess energy.

One of them, the leader Ludwig assumed, said something to his father. Not looking pleased in the slightest, his father said something back and moved to stand protectively in front of his mother and Gilbert. They exchanged a few more words, none on his father’s side pleasant he was sure. The Anthromorph seemed to grow more frustrated the longer they talked.

Soon it seemed his frustration won out and he barked an order to those behind him. His father, outraged, started shouting at them as they climbed off their horses and moved in on their home. Three of them grabbed his father, two of them his brother, and one his mother. The rest of them headed for the door. Scared, Ludwig hurried to the kitchen where their storm shelter was located. Uncovering the trap door, he hurried in and shut the door behind him. He moved to the very back of the dark room and waited, his quick pulse pounding in his ears was the only sound he could hear. 

He quieted his breathing as best he could, listening for the sound of footsteps. Suddenly, without warning, the door was thrown open and one of them exclaimed that he had found something. The others soon came and before Ludwig could react he had several pairs of paws dragging him out of the cellar and out of the house. He was then thrown to the ground at the feet of the lead Anthromorph, his father’s enraged yelling and his mother’s worried calls came from somewhere behind him.

“So you were hiding one, I should punish the lot of you for being so defiant against the law… but I am lenient and have decided to spare your pitiful lives, even if you are disgusting humans and a filthy human loving traitor; but what could I have expected from a dog?” the leader mocked, his whiskers twitching in glee.

“Zis is a neutral territory! Your despicable laws mean nosing here!” his father snarled as he struggled against the ones still pinning him down.

“Ah but that is where you are wrong dog, no territory is neutral for a hunter” the cat Anthromorph purred. “So since we have found this piece of filth hiding in your basement we will take it with us, I’m sure to pull a big bounty from the slave ring for this one” He cackled merrily at the prospect of a bag of gold.

“Please! I beg you, have mercy! Don’t take my son!” Ludwig’s mother cried, tears making slim tracks down her pretty face.

“Quiet human scum, be grateful I’m taking this abomination instead of you and your other spawn” He hissed at her, only causing her to cry more. “Tie it to one of the horses so it will follow behind” he commanded one of the other’s, an Anthromorph bird. He walked over and lashed Ludwig’s wrists together behind his back. Another rope was looped around his neck and attached to one of the horses. He was then yanked to his feet.

“If any of you try to follow us, the consequences won’t be pretty, we’ll end up with a dead worthless half breed and two new captives for the market” the cat Anthromorph told them with a leer, staring pointedly at his mother and brother; the warning was for Ludwig’s father. “Well then, we will be leaving now, it was a pleasure doing business with you folks; have a splendid day” he finished with a cackle then urged his horse into action, his lackeys following on their horses and causing Ludwig to run unless he wanted to be strangled.

He cast several scared fleeting looks back at his family, the sorrow, anger, and fear he could see on their faces causing his own emotions to grow more turbulent. Before they were out of earshot, his father shouted “Stay strong Ludvig! Ve vill get you back! I promise son!”. The last thing he could hear was a high pitched wail of sorrow from his mother but soon he couldn’t even hear that, only the beating of the hooves against the ground and the mocking jeers of the Anthromorphs that now held his fate in their paws.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this one is really short but the next one is a little bit longer.

They had been traveling non-stop since they had left Ludwig’s home earlier that day, covering many miles. The Anthromorphs around him seemed to have no intent on stopping any time soon but Ludwig felt like he might collapse at any moment as his limbs and lungs burned. Sweat covered his body, his hair sticking to his face and his clothes clinging to his skin. He tripped and stumbled as his shoes came in contact with rocks and holes.

He prayed and pleaded in his mind for this to end soon. As if some higher power heard his plea, the cat called his group to a halt. The horses came to a stop and Ludwig collapsed to his knees, panting and trying to pull air into his straining lungs. He could hear the laughter above him as the hunters joked and pointed at him.

“Alright dirt bags, enough lollygagging, get to work setting up camp” the cat told them, causing them to dismount from their horses. Some pulled out blankets and others unsaddled the horses, laying their things in a circle around a spot that was being set up for a fire. Pegs were stuck in the ground a few feet away and the horses were tied to them so they wouldn’t run away in the middle of the night. All of this was done with everyone ignoring Ludwig and that suited him just fine.

One Anthromorph not to far from him pulled out a canteen from his belt and took a long drink from it. Ludwig’s eyes were drawn to it and he watched him with longing, his tongue darting out to try to moisten his dry lips. The Anthromorph noticed this and grinned cruelly, walking closer and bending down near him.

“You want some of this, half breed? You thirsty? Willing to do anything for a drop of cool refreshing water?” He mocked as he moved the canteen back and forth in front of Ludwig’s face. He swallowed convulsively, feeling his dry throat constrict, and he followed it with his eyes. The Anthromorph laughed and tipped the canteen, letting the water trickle out onto the ground.

“Go on doggy, lick it up like the mongrel you are; or is it not dirty enough for you?” He jeered, taking sick delight in the look of longing on Ludwig’s face. “Oi! What are you doing over her?” the leader demanded, causing the Anthromorph in front of Ludwig to scurry to his feet and hide the canteen behind his back.

“Um… just checking on the prisoner boss” he said, smiling nervously.

“Really? It seemed to mee like you were wasting water on the dirt, dirt bag; hand over your canteen” the boss hissed as he snatched it from the other “mocking the scum is one thing, wasting water we can’t afford to waste is another!”.

The lacky flinched, ears flat and tail between his legs “r-right boss”.

“Go back to your job before I skin ya and make a new pair of boots from your sorry hide!” the boss snapped and cuffed him in the ear as he hurried off. “And as for you” He said as he turned back to Ludwig, eyeing the state he was in then kneeling in front of him. “Just so you know dog, anything I do is to keep you alive long enough to sell you. Anything that happens after that is none of my concern” He told Ludwig and he uncapped the canteen, holding it to his mouth.

Ludwig, startled, choked on the water as it entered his mouth. It was pulled away a moment and as soon as he regained his breathing the canteen was back. This time he drank from it gratefully. All too soon it was gone again.

“Like I said, I’m only keeping you alive, I don’t care if you’re comfortable or if you’re in the greatest pain imaginable; so long as I get my money, that’s all that matters” he told Ludwig before standing and slipping the canteen into his belt. “I’ll see you at chow time, scumbag” the leader said, with those parting words he left Ludwig alone.

As he sat there, his mind wandered, pondering over his fate. His life and future was now in the hands of a group of bigoted hunters, his father and mother were most likely grieving for the son they have lost if they weren’t trying to find a way to get him back. His brother he wasn’t certain about, he hoped he was in a similar state as his parents in the fact that he missed him; he couldn’t bare the thought of his brother being glad he was gone.

He sighed and shifted, wincing as his muscles protested. He looked around the camp once more before deciding he should try to get some sleep. He noticed that his rope was tied to one of the pegs that held the horses. Shifting a bit more, he lowered himself as gently as he could to the ground. He moved around a bit to find a more comfortable position, finding none with his arms secured behind him. He then closed his eyes and waited for the blissful mercy of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Ludwig was awoken with a kick to his stomach. Gasping in pain, his eyes flew open and he curled up as best he could around his abused abdomen. 

“Wake up trash, it’s time to move” the person above him spoke. Ludwig glanced up, noticing it wasn’t an anthromorph who had talked to him yet; this one was a monkey. “You missed last night’s meal so your gonna run on an empty stomach till tonight” Ludwig was told by the scowling simion. With some difficulty, Ludwig was able to sit up. The monkey Anthromorph seemed to be impatient because he reached down, grabbed Ludwig by the collar of his shirt, and yanked him to his feet.

Ludwig stumbled a bit but regained his balance and glanced around the camp. It seemed he had slept for a while; the sun was up, everything was repacked, and the horses were resaddled. The monkey grabbed his lead rope and yanked him over to a horse. The rope was tied to the saddle horn then the monkey walked off to his own horse. Before he knew it all the horses were mounted and they were off again.

They went like this till well into the afternoon without stopping and Ludwig again felt ready to drop; the only thing that kept him going was the fear of choking to death. As the sun was starting to set, the sky taking on an orange crimson tint, the beginning of a forest could be spotted in the distance. He heard a call from the front and the horses slowed their pace, soon coming to a walk and then a stop. 

Ludwig dropped to his knees as soon as they stopped; his face red and dripping sweat, his chest heaving for breath that didn’t seem to want to return to his constricting lungs. “Take five to give the horses a break then we’ll continue at a walk till we reach the trees” the leader called. The men jumped from their horses and stretched their stiff muscles. 

“Alright, in a few days we should reach another town that’s on the other side of these woods. We’re going to do the same thing we did at the last town, only this time someone will stay in the woods waiting for us while guarding that thing” the cat explained “Half of us will get supplies and the other half will scout for prey, you find it and take it back to the meeting site, any questions?”.

He was met with silence which signaled the end of their rest. They remounted their horses and Ludwig stood with a bit of trouble, his energy had been zapped from him. He thanked whatever higher power that was watching them when they started to walk instead of running to the trees. The sky was a mix of pink, orange, and red by the time they reached the trees; the sun was a half circle on the horizon.

The group dismounted their horses and went about setting up camp. Ludwig rested on the ground against a tree he was tied to, wishing he had some water he could quench his raging thirst, perhaps some food to calm his protesting stomach. Again, it was as if some higher power had read his mind because the leader walked over, the canteen in one hand and a slice of bread in the other.

“Alright, I’m not going to hand feed you so I’m going to free your hands, so long as you promise you’re gonna behave” the cat told him sternly and Ludwig nodded eagerly. The Anthromorph knelt near him and released the bindings holding Ludwig’s wrists behind his back. Ludwig moved his arms to return the circulation and rubbed his sore wrists. The leader handed him the bread and canteen, watching him as he slowly ate the bread and drank the water. Once finished the cat took the canteen back from him and continued to watch him. 

Ludwig’s ears pressed back into his hair and he fidgeted uncomfortably, those yellow eyes unnerved him. “Now that I get a better look at you, I have to say you’re actually quite good looking for a half breed; if I didn’t need the money I would have kept you for myself” the cat mused as he traced a clawed finger down Ludwig’s cheek and under his chin.

Ludwig stiffened at the touch and watched the other silently. “Too bad indeed, you would have made a nice pet” the leader purred. He then grabbed Ludwig’s wrists and bound them in front of him. “I’ll be back in a bit” the cat told him then stood and walked off.

Ludwig brought his bound hands up and felt the place on his face he was touched, the longer he stayed with this group the more scared of what would happen next he became. “I vant mutti, vati, und Gilbert” He whispered to himself as he curled up more against the tree. Just as the cat had said, he was back and he carried some cloth and rope.

He knelt down next to Ludwig, set the things down, and pulled a knife from his belt. Ludwig flattened himself against the tree, watching the knife fearfully. “Oh stop moving or else I will cut you” the cat told him in annoyance then moved closer and started slicing off Ludwig’s shirt. Once the shirt was a shredded mess and tossed to the side he then started cutting the pants.

Ludwig’s heart was pounding in his chest, he was sure that if it pounded any harder he would have a heart attack; he was surprised the Anthromorph didn’t seem to hear it with how hard it was beating. Soon his pants and boxers joined his shirt, his shoes joining them, and he was left as naked as the day he was born. He closed his legs and covered his privates with his hands, he could feel a dark blush covering his cheeks from embarrassment and mortification.

The cat laughed at his futile attempt at modesty “oh come off it, it isn’t anything I haven’t seen before; come on, stand up if you want your lower regions covered”. It took a lot of work but Ludwig was able to stand, his hands still covering his privates. The cat grabbed the cloth and wrapped it around Ludwig’s waist. He wrapped the rope around it then knotted it and stoop back.

“There, now you’re dressed properly” the cat said as he dusted off his hands. He stooped down and grabbed Ludwig’s old clothes then turned and walked off. Ludwig stood there a moment just starting down at the skirt on his waist, it barely went half way to his knees. He sat down again, trying to find a position that didn’t make his skirt ride up or show anything underneath. Finally he settled for laying curled up on the ground.

As he directed his gaze up at the sky he felt a constricting feeling in his throat and a burning sensation behind his eyes. When his sight blurred and his cheeks became wet he realized he was starting to cry. At first he tried to wipe them away, hating how weak he was. When he failed to stop them he just let them fall, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The realization that he would never go home and see his family again hit him with the force of a stampede of horses. That night, Ludwig cried himself to sleep, his daunting uncertain future weighing heavily on his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good lord my fingers got all stiff typing up these chapters, i'll do more tomorrow.

Ludwig was again awoken with a kick to his stomach. “Come on scum, it’s time to get moving” said the anthromorph that kicked him, this one was a bear with an eye patch and part of his ear missing. Ludwig’s lead rope was untied from the tree and he was pulled to his feet. Soon he was tied to another horse and they were on the move again.

Now Ludwig wouldn’t have minded very much going through the woods, they were moving slowly and the trees blocked the sun, but his shoes were taken from him and he was cutting his feet on sticks and rocks. He tried watching where he was walking but it did little good because the ground was covered in sticks, rocks, and even thorns from bushes; also it slowed him and caused the rope to yank on his neck. They traveled all day like this without stopping.

As night started to fall he wondered when they would stop to camp. It wasn’t till he could hardly see that they finally stopped. “Alright, by tomorrow afternoon we should be there, supply team will go in first then after about half an hour the scout team will look for another target. If we can’t find a half breed then we will take a human. When we have what we need, we get the hell out of here and head to the nearest slave port. Once we sell them off we split what we have then hunt some more, everyone understand the plan?” the cat called. He received multiple forms of agreement from the group then everyone settled down for the night.

The next day they made their way through the rest of the forest. Ludwig was thankful when he saw the edge of the forest a little ways ahead; he didn’t think his feet could stand much more abuse from the forest floor. When they reached the tree line, everyone halted their horses. “I will be in the hunt party, those I call will go with me” the leader called then he listed off names.

Those that were called moved over to stand beside him “The rest of you will get provisions and one of you will stay here to keep an eye on our half breed, that job I’m leaving to Jed because he is the least likely to do anything he shouldn’t”. Several of the Anthromorphs grumbled in disappointment but didn’t argue. ‘Vhich of zem is Jed?’ Ludwig thought, he soon found out as his rope was handed off to a cheetah whose face showed no emotion. “Now that everything's covered, gathering part needs to move out” the leader ordered and the five that were chosen to get provisions rode off toward a town that was off in the distance.

The others waited for the half hour before riding off, soon leaving Ludwig and Jed alone. Ludwig sat quietly on the ground while Jed sat silently on his horse. Ludwig looked up at the cheetah, studying his features, trying to guess what the other was thinking. “Curiosity, young one, is best left alone” Jed suddenly spoke in a deep baritone that, while still emotionless, made Ludwig feel at ease inside for some reason.

“Vhat do you mean?” Ludwig asked softly.

Jed turned his head to look down at him “it is as I said, curiosity is best left alone for it has caused many sorrows to all creatures”.

Ludwig thought about this “but I sought viz out curiosity zere could be no progress?”.

“That is indeed true but with progress comes greed and with greed comes the death and suffering of many” Jed told him, his voice taking a wise and aged tone.

Ludwig gave him a contemplative look “but if ve didn’t have progress, zere vouldn’t be good sings like literature und medicine”.

“That is indeed true, but does the good really outweigh the bad?” Jed asked him.

Ludwig thought it over in his mind “Zere are two types of change, good und bad, it is true ve can not have only good viz out ze bad but should ve really stop progress just because zere is a possibility of a bad tomorrow? Even if ve can change it to be better in ze future?”.

“Perhaps not, but we do not know what the future holds, it could be catastrophic and could decimate the planet like a great plague, is it still worth the risk?” Jed continued.

Ludwig stared at the ground, drawing random shapes in the dirt “Maybe not, but you can’t stop it, somebody vill inevitably cause progression; it von’t stop till ve cannot progress any more”.

“That is indeed true young one, so long as there is a curious mind there will be progression and with progression comes an uncertain future; perhaps one day a curious young mind will put an end to this war and reunite all races once more” Jed said softly, his deep voice grave and serious, though there was a hint of insight to his tone. Ludwig looked up at him, thinking over the other’s words.

He nodded agreeing with Jed and they both fell into silence once more. Soon the five that were sent to get supplies returned, laughing and joking with one another. It was perhaps an hour before the other six appeared, six captives with them on their horses.

“Grab him and let’s go! Now!” the leader yelled as they raced past. Before Ludwig could realize what was going on, he was pulled onto Jed’s lap and they were following quickly behind the others. They rode like this for a while, pushing the horses to their limits. It wasn’t until nearly sunset and they were miles from the town that they finally pulled to a stop.

The new captives were still making noise, yelling and crying while struggling with their captures. “Boss, what happened?” one of the ones that retrieved supplies asked. Ludwig looked at the leader and shrank back against Jed when he saw the look of rage on the cat’s face.

“Idiot! You stupid, dumb animal! How could you be so stupid!” the leader snarled, ignoring the question and rounding on a bird Anthromorph who sharnk back from his bosses rage “b-but boss I-”.

The leader interrupted him “You what? Didn’t think? Don’t have a fucking brain? You damn moron I should fucking lynch you!”.

“B-boss please I d-didn’t know!” the bird cried, cowering back.

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear excuses! You’re a useless worthless waste of space! Get out of my sight! And give me that girl you imbecile!” he snarled and the bird let a girl down from his saddle, racing to the back of the group.

“All of you, put your catch in the middle” He called to the others and one by one they put the captives on the ground. There were three male and three female humans with two of them being young children. “Alright, lets get them stripped and redressed” the cat called and several of them pulled out cloth and rope like what Ludwig now wore. With a lot of noise and protest, the humans clothes were cut off and they were redressed in the slave garments. The women and children huddled together while the men kept yelling and threatening.

“Jed, put the half breed with the humans and feed him, leave the humans and we’ll see if they are more willing to cooperate tomorrow” The leader ordered. With a nod, Jed lowered Ludwig from the horse then climbed off himself. He grabbed the lead rope and led him over to the six humans. Ludwig sat, well aware of the eyes on him and making him uncomfortable. Jed walked off and came back with a piece of bread and a canteen of water.

“Alright, stop sitting around, set up camp!” The irritated cat snapped and everyone scurried about to do as told. Ludwig ate his meager rations and drank his water. Jed took his canteen when he was done then walked off to help set up camp.

“Pst, hey” a soft voice caught Ludwig’s ears and he looked over at the humans. One of the men spoke to him “how long have you been with these hunters?”. Ludwig looked from him to the group of Anthromorphs then back. “Come on bud, you have to talk to me if we have any chance of getting out of here, can you understand me?” Ludwig was asked and Ludwig nodded “Can you talk?”.

Ludwig nodded once more and told him quietly “I have been vis zem for sree days”.

“Has there ever been a moment when they let their guard down?” the man asked. 

Ludwig shook his head “No, not zat I could see”.

The human cursed then brooded for a bit. The second man scooted closer to Ludwig “don’t mind him, he’s always been a grouch, names Billy Briggs; what’s yours?”.

Ludwig stared at him a moment then said “Ludvig Beilschmidt”.

“Wow, that’s a mouth full, mind if I call you Luddy?” Billy asked with a chuckle.

Ludwig shook his head and said “No, I don’t mind”.

“I got a personal question, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to… what’s it like being a half breed?” Billy asked, his face shining with honest curiosity.

Before Ludwig could answer, there was a hiss from one of the women “Billy Briggs that is an extremely rude question that you do not ask anyone! Didn’t your mama teach you better?”.

“Oh ease up Lil, I was just wondering” Billy grouched back.

“I-it’s alright, I don’t mind” Ludwig reassured her, all she did was huff. “Um… I’m not wery certain about ze differences betveen me und ozers but I know my hearing, smell, sight, und stamina are greater zan a humans but veaker zan full blooded Anzromorphs; also my physical und chemical makeup are different” Ludwig explained.

“Chemical make up? What’s that?” Billy asked curiously.

“Vell, like animals, Anzromorphs can go into heat ewery spring, ze same goes for me” Ludwig finished with a blush.

“So you basically get really horny?” Billy laughed.

“Billy Briggs!” the woman called, scandalized as she covered the children’s ears. 

“Ah… um… yes… b-basically” Ludwig stuttered, face bright red. The man laughed good naturedly and patted Ludwig on the shoulder.

“Um vould you know vhy he is so angry?” Ludwig asked, pointing over at the cat leader. Everyone’s mood became somber and they sat there quietly. 

Finally Billy spoke “My guess? It’s that Lil over there is the mayor’s daughter and she was kidnapped in plain sight, the rest of us were snatched alone so there was a ruckus made”.

Ludwig looked over at the human woman as she spoke “That’s right and daddy won’t stand for this, he’ll be after us in no time and we’ll be free before you can blink; just you wait and see”.

“Oh Lil, come off it, we all know your daddy won’t find us in time; we’re gonna get sold before he can even saddle his horse” the unnamed man snapped as he spun around to face Lil. Before they could start squabbling, an Anthromorph shouted at them “Keep it down over there scumbags or else!”. Everyone sat quietly, the only sound was that of the children’s whimpers and sniffles.

“Ve should get some sleep, ve’ll be moving out early” Ludwig told them softly and then laid down. They didn’t do it right away but gradually they all laid down and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man, these chapters seemed so much longer on paper XD

Ludwig had been right, the next morning they were made to get up before the sun rose. Everything was packed and each captive was pulled up onto a horse, Ludwig once again sitting with Jed.

“Alright, let’s move out before I lynch somebody” the leader snapped, still angry from yesterday. With a snap of the reigns they were on the move again. Hours passed like this, the scenery speeding by as they rode non-stop. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that they stopped for a rest “we’ll take five then move again, if we keep going with short breaks then we’ll make it there in three days”.

Everyone was fed and watered then they were on the move again. Just as the cat had said, they rode through the night and into the next day, taking short breaks. By the third night of this even the leader seemed ready to drop. “We’re one days ride from the slave port, we’ll rest for a few hours then move out” the leader called and everyone gratefully hopped off their horses. The captives were put in the middle and the Anthromorphs formed a circle around them, they were too tired to set up camp.

“We’re going to be sold… into slavery!” Lil cried quietly.

“Hey now, Lil, don’t talk such nonsense in front of the kids” Billy whispered, a child on either side of him.

“Oh what’s the use Billy? They might as well hear it, there’s no telling what will happen to them” Lil snapped, her face glowering angrily.

“Will you shut up!” an Anthromorph snapped, glaring at them, Lil glared back at him.

“Lil stop that and get some sleep, we’ll figure this out” Billy said quietly.

“We’re all doomed Billy, what’s the point” Lil shot back before laying down. They all laid down and got a couple hours of sleep, the future weighing heavily on their minds. Before they knew it they were all up and moving again. After three days of going almost non-stop, this time they moved at a walk.

“Jed? Vhat vill happen to us?” Ludwig asked quietly, looking up at the cheetah.

“You will be sold to a slave ship, the price depends on several aspects of the captive, and then you will be sent overseas to an all Anthromorph country. Once there you will be examined by a doctor and again depending on several aspects, a starting price will be chosen for you. After that you will either be auctioned off or sold from the slave line” Jed explained.

“Oh” was all Ludwig said, all he could say; what was someone supposed to say when their entire future was revolving around slavery? The rest of the trip was filled with daunting silence, tension hanging in the air. Before anyone knew it, the wide expanse of plains was soon replaced by a bustling sea port. Yelling, screaming, crying, and fighting filled the air along with the smells of salt water, sweat, dirt, and urine.

Everywhere he looked, humans and Anthromorphs filled the place, a range of emotions scattered around on their faces. The group let the captives down and seven of the group members followed, the rest staying on their horses and making sure no one stole them. The leader had gotten off his horse and so had Jed. Each one of the captives were escorted to a nearby building.

Stopping at the door the cat walked up and knocked. The door was answered by an old toad, his grey skin wrinkled and covered in warts. “What! What do you want? I’m busy” he croaked in a nasally voice.

“Cut the crap Frank, I’m in no mood to dick around, I’ve got seven scumbags I want to sell” the leader snapped. This seemed to cow the old toad because he shrank back at the cat’s ire.

“W-well why didn’t you say s-so to begin with Boris, come in and I’ll have them seen to once we talk” The toad sniveled as he held the door open. Boris, the leader, walked inside and the door was shut behind him. Everyone stood quietly outside, waiting for his return.

When the door reopened Boris walked out, a satisfied look on his face. “One by one, you will each be checked over by the doctor and depending on what he says, our pay will be equal to what you lot are worth” Boris told the captives. The men were glaring, the children were whimpering, and the women were quietly crying.

Ludwig stood there silently and took it all in, his mind racing over what was to come. What would the doctor do? What would the doctor say? Ludwig had heard that half breeds like himself were illegal in most places and were often killed because of it, most of the time in the most painful and torturous way possible.

Ludwig didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to be a slave, he just wanted to go home and be with his family. One by one the humans were lead inside, examined, then brought back out; they looked extremely shameful and uncomfortable when they came out, the children looked traumatized. Finally it was Ludwig’s turn to go inside.

The doctor was a monkey Anthromorph, glasses perched on his nose and a white coat draped over his form. “Alright, undress and lay on the table” the monkey ordered, the tone cold and calculating. Ludwig was already feeling his gut clenching anxiety as he took off the only covering he had and climbed onto the table.

“Hm… you seem to be smarter than the humans so this shouldn’t take long” the doctor commented as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves. What happened after that was the most humiliating physical examination Ludwig had ever received. When it was all over, Ludwig was allowed to recover himself and rejoin the others.

They waited a while longer as Boris consulted with the doctor and Frank. Boris returned with a sack of money and a satisfied smile on his face “Alright, the prince was settled and we have our money”. The men cheered and started chatting about what they would do with their share.

Several gorilla Anthromorphs came out and dragged the new slaves in one by one. “Good luck half breed, you’re gonna need it” Boris sneered, chuckling nastily. Ludwig looked at Jed, scared to lose the one person that was willing to help him since his capture. The cheetah nodded to him and gave him a reassuring look. That was the last time he would see the group as the door closed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a time skip, sorry for how short it is.  
hopefully once i get into writing new content for it they might be a bit longer. really, all these chapters are just scene setters and beginnings of plot development XD

He was a fool, dear god he was a stupid fool. 

These thoughts and more sped through Ludwig’s mind as he ran through the sparse woods, his only cover was the darkness. He nearly jumped out of his skin in fright as he heard the hounds howl, they had his scent.

‘Stupid fool! Bad fool!’ he snapped at himself mentally as he weaved through the thin trees. If he didn’t do something soon he would be caught again and punished, he couldn’t take another punishment.

He tried to be as quiet as possible but it was hard when his feet kept snapping twigs. He suddenly felt a droplet of water fall on his face, causing him to slow slightly. He felt another then another, a smile tugging at his lips. The rain would slow them down but not by much and that’s what kept him moving.

Soon it was pouring and he was soaked from head to tail, the cloth on his waist offered no protection or warmth. Suddenly and without warning, he ran off an incline and fell into a river. The current was swift and relentless as he was pulled downstream; the water was making it hard to stay above the surface. He had been stunned momentarily by the icy shock of the water, his body soon going numb from the cold.

He shivered and gasped for air as he was again pushed down into the water’s depths. He was banged and bashed against sharp rocks as the current pushed him along, he had hit his head three times… perhaps more. What seemed like hours later, the river calmed and its current was now a gentle tug. Finally able to stay above the surface, Ludwig swam to shore. His body was shaking and his tired limbs were sluggish as he pulled himself onto the rocky bank.

He laid there for a moment, gasping for the air the water had deprived him of. Suddenly his body was wracked with a bone rattling cough, causing his lungs to burn and throat to hurt.

‘I.. I can’t.. Lay here… I will be found’ he thought wearily as he gathered the last of his strength and pushed unsteadily to his feet. He stumbled and swayed, his body protesting and fighting him for rest. He ignored the need and forced himself to move, using any tree he reached for support. His body was shaking uncontrollably and it felt like his skin was on fire.

It did not take a genius to realize he was becoming ill, if he did not dry off and find shelter soon he would catch pneumonia and possibly end up dying. Off in the distance he could faintly see a small glowing light and, to his slowly diminishing sense of self preservation, he knew he should have fled in the opposite direction… but his body urged him toward it. The closer he got the more he could see and what he could see was a small farm house.

It was probably because of his cold befuddled mind and the oncoming sickness but he saw a figure appear from the house, the silhouette familier to his hazy mind.

“Vati?” he whispered hoarsely, stumbling forward.

His foot caught on a root sticking up from the ground and caused him to fall. His blurry vision still remained on the figure as they hurried closer, another form behind them. Another cough racked his form, causing him to close his eyes and curl up. He heard garbled voices getting closer, not able to discern one word from another.

His heart pounded in his ears, fear flowing through his blood and choking him. His body would not move no matter how hard he willed it to, remaining in the curled up position on the ground. Suddenly, there was a warm feeling surrounding him, as if he was lifted into a pair of strong arms. There was a murmuring sound near his ear and he could feel the thump of another heart beat.

Soon he was laid upon a soft warm area, what he guessed was a bed. With the last of his strength he opened his eyes and stared blurily up at the Anthromorph that stood stooped over the bed, gold eyes locking onto his dazed blue ones. “Sleep” said a deep voice that instantly made Ludwig feel safe, his weariness finally winning and sending him drifting off into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm seriously weeping about how short these turned out, I wonder if I should combine some of them... feh

“Is he finally asleep?” an elder Anthromorph woman softly asked her son as he quietly closed the door behind him.

“Yes mother, though I doubt he could have stayed awake any longer” he spoke quietly back as he sat near the old woman.

“The poor dear, I don’t blame him, so young and yet has lived through so much if those scars are from what I think they are” she said sadly as she stared into the fire. The man held her hand gently and moved the blanket more around her fragile frame.

“It’s going to be hard to remove the collar” The man told his mother, meaning the metal collar around Ludwig’s throat.

“It seems they have become more cautious if they are fusing the collar shut now” she said, anger heavy in her voice. The man rubbed his mother’s hand soothingly, she had always been sensitive about the subject of slavery.

“He will be very ill after staying out there for so long in the storm, it will be even worse if he fell into the river” he said softly, concerned for the young man who was now asleep in his bed.

“We shall just have to care for him as best we can until he is well again” his mother said in her sage like wisdom, a smile on her lips at the concern her son showed; perhaps the young hybrid was a blessing in disguise.

“Mother, before he went to sleep, he said a word I’ve never heard before; though I think you might know it since you have been many places in your life time” he was always curious about things that were unknown to him.

“Is that so? Then tell me my son, what was the word he said” She asked him kindly, she always indulged his curious nature that he inherited from his father.

“He was mumbling so I’m not certain but it sounded like Vati, do you know what that means?” He hoped his mother knew.

“Ah yes, I know that word, I have heard it many times; it is from the Germanic language meaning daddy. So either his parents immigrated to our country or he is from a country across the sea” She mused with a smile “As a matter of fact, your father was part German on his father’s side”.

“So father knew German?” the young Anthromorph asked, he always enjoyed hearing stories about his father.

“Oh he knew a whole slew of languages; he knew German, Italian, French, Latin, Spanish. This was one of the many things that drew me to him along with his handsome smile, charming wit, mischievous nature, and his ability to always make me laugh” She reaccounted with a wistful and sad smile “as a matter of fact, you are just like him; rugged good looks and all”.

If he wasn’t covered in dark fur then he was sure his blush would have been clearly seen “Mother!”.

All she did was laugh and ruffle his fur like she did when he was small. “I think it is time we get some sleep of our own” she said as she stood from her chair. He stood as well and helped his mother to her room. He made sure she was settled in her bed before kissing her goodnight and leaving the room.

He stopped by his room and peeked in to check on the slumbering young man in his bed. The top half of his face peeked out from the covers, furry blond ears twitching and cheeks flushed red from the fever. The blond hair looked soft like silk and he had the urge to touch it… He kept himself from doing so. From what he had seen when he had brought the other in, his body was well built from what he guessed was years of hard labor as well as well tanned by the sun. 

The young man sighed softly and sat on the floor near the bed; he would stay close to the sick hybrid in case he happened to turn for the worse and needed assistance. He sighed once more and closed his eyes, the feeling of something life altering tickling at his mind as he too let sleep claim him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one is longer, promise.

Three days had passed since Ludwig was found by the old woman and her son. He had been extremely ill with a fever, harsh coughs, vomiting, and violent chills. He slept most of the time, the times he was awake were in a delirium, thinking the woman and her son were his mother and father. They fed him and kept him hydrated as best they could, though he always seemed to throw it back up. As the fourth day dawned, Ludwig’s fever finally broke and his chills slowly stopped. 

“Well, now that his fever is gone, he should be able to keep something down” the old woman reassured her son as she took the cloth off Ludwig’s head. Her son had stuck beside the sick half breed, caring for him diligently through the nights and days. Her soon seemed exhausted, his fur messy and his gold amber eyes bloodshot.

“Alright young man, it’s time for you to get some sleep and I don’t want any arguments; you’re never too old to take over my knee” She scolded, interrupting him before he could argue with her. She shooed him out of the room and closed the door in his face. With a resigned sigh he went to his mother’s room to sleep in her bed.

The old lady sat on the bed beside the sleeping Ludwig. She gently patted his hair and watched him as he slept. She hummed softly to him, a lullaby she used to sing to her son when he was younger. As Ludwig slowly became conscious, he heard a sound that was vaguely familiar, almost as if he was a small child again and his mother was singing him to sleep.

He opened his eyes groggily and blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. When he could see correctly, an old Anthromorph woman came into his sight. She was a dog Anthromorph, possibly a Husky if her markings and facial features were anything to go on. She seemed well on in years, her skin wrinkled with her posture stooped; she looked so frail.

Her eyes were a wise amber with a kind and motherly look in them though there was a sadness hidden in their depths. When she saw that he was awake, she smiled softly at him and spoke “Hello young one, I see you have finally decided to rejoin the land of the living”. This woman’s kindness surprised Ludwig, he hadn’t been shown kindness since he was captured all those years ago when he had formed a type of bond with Jed.

“Might I know the name of my guest?” She asked him softly, noticing the look of uncertainty and wariness in his eyes.

“I.. I have… no n-name” He said softly and fearfully, his newest master didn’t like the german language and would beat him every time Ludwig used a word that wasn’t english so he had to pause and sometimes stumble over words.

“Oh dear, everyone has a name, mine is Celest” She told him gently, oh how she wanted to kill those horrible fools for what they did to this boy.

“I.. I am Ludvig” he murmured shyly.

“Well Ludwig, I am very happy to meet you” Celest told him with a smile.

“Vhere.. Am I?” he asked uncertainty as he looked around the room.

“This is my home and at the moment you are using my son’s room” she told him gently.

“I-I’m sorry ma’am, I’ll… I’ll leave” he said fearfully as he scrambled with the blanket trying to get out of the bed.

“Now Ludwig you stop that, we put you here of our own accord so you have nothing to be sorry for” she scolded gently as she grabbed his hands, showing a surprising strength for her seemingly fragile body. He held still though it did nothing to ease his fear. 

She patted his hands gently and let him go “Now you must be very hungry, you hardly ate anything the last few days and anything you did eat came back up; I’m going to make you some soup and I do not want to hear any refusal”. She stood and puttered out the door, leaving behind a very confused Ludwig.

When she was gone, Ludwig looked around the room once more, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do next. Beside the bed was a small table with a lamp and a picture frame. In the picture there were three Anthromorphs, two adults and a child. One of the Anthromorphs was a younger version of the old woman. The second adult was a grey wolf who had his arms around Celest.

In her arms was a child who looked very similar to the wolf, though if one looked closely enough they could see similarities between the woman and child as well. What struck him were the eyes of the child, they were gold like his father’s but they had an amber tint to them that he had inherited from his mother.

Those eyes held Ludwig’s own ice blue that he had inherited from his father and he hadn’t even realized that he had picked up the photo, holding it closer as he stared in hypnotic wonder at the child’s eyes that seemed to stare into his soul.

“He was such a happy young pup” a voice sighed wistfully and nearly caused Ludwig to jump out of his skin.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to p-pick it up I-” Ludwig apologized profusely as he hurried to put the picture back.

“Hush now, there’s no harm in simple curiosity” she admonished as she placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. She picked up the picture and stared at it sadly “This was the last time we ever saw Argus… then the human hunters found our home, he hid us and told us to stay there till he came back… he never did. They ransacked our home and burnt it to the ground, after that they dragged him away”.

He listened quietly, sympathizing with her though still fearful; he was part human and he wasn’t sure if this woman would want to take revenge against him for it.

“Ever since that night, I’ve always tried my hardest to free as many enslaved Anthromorphs and humans as I can… Sometimes succeeding while other times not, I’ve given up hope of finding Argus again” She told him softly and Ludwig’s fear eased slightly.

“Don’t worry young man, we’ll help you get home” she said to him, her amber eyes burning brightly. At hearing these words, Ludwig’s hope rekindled and he said softly “home… I vant… to go home”.


	9. Chapter 9

Ludwig and Celest talked a while longer; more like Celest talked and Ludwig listened. Ludwig ate the soup that Celest had given him, enjoying a home cooked meal for the first time since leaving home. Celest was in the middle of telling Ludwig about one of her son’s many childhood adventures when there was a small knock from the doorway. They both looked over and saw Celest’s son standing there.

“Up already I see” Celest said with a smile as her son moved more into the room.

“Any more sleep and I would be awake for a year” he told her with a huff.

“Perish the thought, goodness knows you’re lazy enough as is” Celest teased, earning a noise of indignance from her son. Ludwig watched this scene with a longing for his own mother.

“I see our guest is awake and if I’m not mistaken I heard a recount of the time I had gotten my head stuck in a rabbit hole” he said ruefully.

“Of course you heard correctly, I need someone to prattle to about the old days that hasn’t been there to witness the silliness of a young pup” Celest said cheerfully as she grinned at her son.

“I must say that you, mother, are a shameless gossip” he grinned back at her.

“And I would thank you to remember that” she chirped, patting his arm. He laughed and wrapped an arm around his mother’s shoulders. Ludwig sat there quietly, feeling as if he was intruding on a sacred moment between mother and son.

As if sensing his awkwardness, Celest’s son turned his head to look at Ludwig “excuse me for my rudeness, I haven’t introduced myself”.

Ludwig’s breath seemed to be stolen from him as those eyes fell on him, those burning pools of gold and amber that tore away at any barrier that blocked him from seeing into someone’s soul. Ludwig felt as if those eyes had stripped his soul naked and were scrutinizing his deepest intimate secrets. 

This thought made him blush lightly and duck his head, his hands busying themselves with the blanket. Celest’s son smiled softly at the endearing sight Ludwig made with his shyness. Celest watched both of them with a secretive smile of her own, sensing a connection forming between the two.

“This young man’s name is Ludwig” she told her son as she patted Ludwig’s shoulder, though this action caused him to stiffen and shrink back.

“Well then Ludwig, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Romulus” He said gently, keeping his anger at the suffering this young half breed went through at bay. 

Ludwig looked back up at him, a small tentative smile on his lips “ Hello… Mr. Romulus”.

“Please Ludwig, there is no need for such formalities, just call me Romulus” he told Ludwig softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Or if you’re feeling particularly affectionate he also goes by Romy” Celest said playfully, causing Romulus to sigh indulgently.

“If it makes you feel more comfortable then you can call me Romy” Romulus told Ludwig with a small comforting smile.

“Ne-ah no… Romulus vill be fine” Ludwig said softly, the near slip of German making him flinch.

“Dear, if you wish to speak German words then don’t be afraid to do so, you won’t be punished for it” Celest told him gently, noticing his actions. He quickly shook his head and shrunk down under the covers.

“Ludwig, you have nothing to fear here, we won’t send you back nor will we let them take you, we will free you and we will get you home” Romulus told him firmly, pulling the covers down slightly so that Ludwig couldn’t hide. He looked at Romulus with a look of fear and despair, the look making his heart ache for the younger.

“Zey.. zey vill punish me again… I-I don’t know if I c-can survive anozer punishment… please don’t let zem find me” Ludwig begged him, his body shaking and his eyes bright with unshed tears. Romulus moved to sit beside the distraught hybrid and pulled him into a hug, laying the other’s head against his chest as he ran his fingers through the blond hair; his hair really was as soft as silk, maybe even softer.

Ludwig flinched and stiffened at the contact though soon relaxed against the broad chest when he realized the other wasn’t going to hurt him. He buried his face against the Anthromorphs neck and breathed deeply, Romulus smelled of pine, musk, and roses… It calmed him the more he breathed in. 

Soon he was calm and relaxed, it was the first time he had ever felt truly safe in so long. Romulus noticed the smile on his mother’s face and he gave her a questioning look. His only answer was a shake of her head, he would never understand how she thought. Without realizing it, Ludwig had drifted off to sleep, the exhaustion claiming him with no fight.

“Ludwig?” Romulus asked softly, looking down at the blond head of the other. When he received no answer his mother laughed softly and stood from the bed.

“Seems he’s fallen asleep dear” Celest told him as she walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” Romulus asked curiously, shifting his hold on Ludwig.

“I am going to go start supper Romy” She chimed happily and then shut the door behind her. Romulus laughed at his mother then resituated himself so that he could lay down, Ludwig tucked safely against him. They stayed like this for some time before Celest returned with a tray that held three cups and bowls.

“Mother, you should have gotten me, I would have carried it” Romulus scolded, concerned for his mother.

“Oh tosh, I’m not a helpless weak thing yet, there is still strength in these old bones” she tsked at him and set the tray next to the bed.

“I do not doubt that mother but you are getting on in years, I would hate for you to hurt yourself” Romulus sighed as he sat up, being careful of the still sleeping Ludwig. Celest scoffed and deemed it not worth a rebuttal, instead focusing her attention on waking Ludwig.

“Dear, it’s time to eat” She said softly and shook him gently. Ludwig bolted awake, startling the other two, and started to apologize vehemently while struggling to get up. Romulus kept his arms wrapped around Ludwig and he spoke to him softly, trying to calm the other.

Slowly Ludwig settled, his sleep fogged mind clearing. “I’m sorry” He apologized quietly one more time then noticed he was laying on Romulus and he blushed brightly in embarrassment.

“Ludwig dear, it’s time to eat” Celest said again. He looked up at her and nodded before moving to sit up. Reluctantly Romulus let him go then sat up himself. Celest gave them each a bowl of stew then set the tray with cups on it on the bed for them to reach.

Ludwig looked from his food to them uncertainty and Celest smiled at him gently “It’s alright dear, eat as much as you want and if you’re still hungry there is enough for seconds”.

When he received an encouraging nod from Romulus, Ludwig started to eat his food. As they ate, Romulus and Celest chatted about random things and Ludwig watched them quietly.

“Oh that family of rabbits were out by the garden again, I noticed them while making the stew, I gave them a head of lettuce as well as several carrots so they would leave the garden alone; they hopped off after they had their fill” Celest said with a smile as she thought back to the family of brown bunnies.

“You would feed them even if they weren’t after the garden, your love for all things small and fuzzy knows no bounds” Romulus teased.

“You’re no better than I Mr. Mommy can we keep the baby birdy” she teased back.

“I was six mother and the little thing was injured” he defended.

“Oh tosh, just last week you were nursing a sick squirrel back to health” Celest admonished with a click of her tongue, getting an indignant “mother!” from her son; if he weren’t covered in fur his blush would have been clearly visible. Ludwig smiled as he pictured Romulus taking care of a furry little tree climber as if it were a baby.The picture made him laugh quietly, catching the attention of the other two. They smiled when they noticed Ludwig’s cheerful mood. 

“Well what was I supposed to do? Leave the poor thing to be eaten?” Romulus mock protested.

“Of course not dear, far be it from me to trounce on your soft side” his mother told him, patting his arm. “Dear me, I just realized that Ludwig here knows so much about us but we know so little of him, is there anything about yourself you would like to share dear?” Celest asked him kindly.

“Zere… zere’s really not much to say” Ludwig told her, suddenly self conscious.

“Just speak what’s on your mind dear, things you like or things you don’t, memories that make you so happy you can’t help but tell others to share your joy; things like that” Celest told him gently.

“Vell… I grew up on a small farm viz my… Mozer, Fazer, und older Brozer, vhen Brozer vould sneak off viz his friends I vould do his chores for him so he vouldn’t get in trouble viz Fazer. I sink Brozer has alvays resented me und Fazer… but me most of all” Ludwig admitted softly, his ears folding back sadly.

“Now dear, I’m sure that’s not the case, I bet your brother loves you and misses you so much” Celest tried to assure him, though it did little good because Ludwig couldn’t let go of his pessimistic view.

“Okay then, I think that was enough for now” Celest said, trying to get rid of the tense and gloomy atmosphere “Romy, can you go feed the chickens and bring in an arm full of wood? Today is a bit chilly and I don’t want the house to be cold”. Romulus nodded and stood from the bed, setting his empty bowl on the table next to him. He then walked out of the room, casting one last glance at Ludwig.

“Hold on there, where do you think you’re going?” Celest said as she noticed Ludwig getting ready to get up.

Ludwig stopped and looked at her, ears back in uncertainty “I… I vas going to go help him?”.

“Oh no you most certainly are not, you are going to stay in bed and rest, you just got over being ill and we do not want you getting ill again” Celest admonished as she pushed him back down and tucked the blanket around him. He laid there quietly as she gathered up the dishes and bustled out the door. Ludwig sighed before curling up on his side and going back to sleep, maybe things would be alright after all?


	10. Chapter 10

The next several days passed pretty much the same. Ludwig was getting restless from sitting in bed all day, something he had never done before in his life. By the fourth day he was practically climbing the walls.

“Please, may I get out of bed? I have been vell ze past four days” He begged Celest as she gathered up their dinner dishes.

“I don’t know, you were very ill” Celest said as she pretended to think it over, she knew he was well enough to get up and that he was antsy to move.

“Please Celest, I’ll do anyzing!” Ludwig pleaded, he meant that he would do anything to get out of bed, it was going to drive him bonkers if he couldn’t do something.

“I suppose, but you’re to stay in the house” She said in a mock defeat, though smiled when Ludwig’s face visibly brightened. “I’ll get you something to wear, wait a moment” She told him before walking out of the room.

“Mother, I’ve never known you to relent so easily when it comes to someone’s health” Romulus said as his mother puttered by.

“Oh tosh, I was going to let him up and about today to exercise a bit, the poor boy needs it” She said as she gathered up the clothes she had tailored to fit Ludwig, they were an old pair of Romulus’s he couldn’t fit any longer.

“Oh, so it wasn’t the poor boy’s pleading that touched your old heart then?” Romulus said with a raised eye ridge, his face was covered in fur so he didn’t have eyebrows to raise.

“Don’t you have a chicken coop to muck out?” She asked rhetorically, much to his chagrin, and she padded off back to Ludwig while Romulus went out to muck the coop. “Here you are dear, I had to estimate your measurements but I’m sure they will fit” She said as she came back into the room. She passed them to Ludwig then turned to give him a bit of privacy as he changed. 

Ludwig put them on, surprised to find they fit rather well. It felt strange to be able to wear something other than his cloth waist covering, it felt nice if a bit confining. When he was done, Celest turned and gave him a once over “Ah, a perfect fit, wonderful; I’m sorry to say there was nothing I could do about shoes though”.

“It’s alright, I don’t need to have shoes” Ludwig assured her, it was true.

“You’re such a dear” Celest sighed “Not many can stay as kind hearted as you have while in such a situation, you truly are a special young man”.

This made him blush, he wasn’t special, he was just another half breed.

“Well, now that you are dressed why don’t you come help me with a bit of tidying up?” Celest said as she puttered out of the room, Ludwig following behind her. He spent that day helping Celest clean the house while Romulus was outside tending the chickens, tending the garden, hanging the laundry, and repairing things the last storm broke. 

Ludwig was cleaning the windows when he spotted Romulus repairing the roof of the chicken hut. Today was unusually warm and since Romulus was covered in fur it made it all the hotter. Sometime during his work Romulus had removed his shirt and even with his black, grey, and white fur Ludwig could still see his muscles flex when he moved. Ludwig was so transfixed by the way Romulus’s body moved that he hadn’t even realized the other spotted him in the window.

“Hello Ludwig” Romulus called with a smile, waving to him. Ludwig, finally realizing he was staring, blushed brightly and waved shyly back. Romulus went back to work and Ludwig ducked away from the window.

‘What are you doing? You shouldn’t be staring at him’ he mentally scolded himself, peeking back out the window more carefully this time. It was wrong to be staring like he was at a full blooded Anthromorph, they were better than him because he was just a half breed. After six years of having it beat into his skull you would think he would have fully understood that by now.

“Just a dirty half breed” he whispered to himself despondently, moving away from the window when Romulus moved out of his sight.

“Ah, there you are deary” Celest said as she moved into the room. She paused when she noticed how sad he looked, asking “What’s wrong Ludwig?”.

“Oh um nozing Mrs. Celest” Ludwig spoke hesitantly.

“Oh tosh, I’ve told you to call me Celest and none of that Mrs. business” She scolded lightly “now you seem a bit down, are you not feeling well?”.

“J-um… yes… I’ll go lie down” Ludwig murmured and shuffled past her.

“Call me if you need anything dear” Celest called after him. Ludwig disappeared into Romulus’s room and closed the door with a soft click. Once he was out of sight, Celest went back to puttering around the house, cleaning all that she deemed needed cleaning. Later that evening Celest had just finished making supper when Romulus came into the kitchen.

“I smell something mouth watering” He said as he kissed his mother on the cheek.

“Well you worked hard today and I knew you would work up quite the appetite” she told him as she patted then went about setting the table. 

Romulus hummed in agreement then looked around, suddenly noticing Ludwig’s absence “mother, where is Ludwig?”.

“Ah, he wasn’t feeling well earlier and he went to lay down in your room” She told him.

“I’ll go make sure he’s alright and see if he wants to eat” he told her then headed for his room.

“Be sure to wash your paws while you’re at it” She called after him.

Reaching his room, Romulus paused for a moment, listening for movement but hearing none. He then gripped the knob and quietly opened the door. There on his bed was Ludwig, laying on his side and staring at the picture of Romulus when he was younger with both his parents.

“Ludwig” He called softly and felt a pang in his heart when the other flinched “Do you feel well enough to eat?”.

Ludwig sat up and blushed at being caught staring at the picture, cursing himself for being so unaware. “Yes, I feel vell enough” he said as he climbed from the bed.

“Mother said you were feeling unwell earlier, I hope you didn’t cause yourself to become sick again” Romulus said, worry coating his words.

Ludwig’s blushed brightly at being reminded of his earlier voyeuristic behavior “n-no… I… I am perfectly fine”.

“Are you sure? Your face is rather flushed” Romulus said as he moved closer to feel Ludwig’s forehead. 

Oh god, Ludwig was going to die from mortification, his face was filled with so much blood.

“Your face feels rather warm, perhaps your fever is returning” Romulus said as he pulled back, much to Ludwig’s relief; if Romulus had touched him much longer he might have combusted. 

“Perhaps you should rest, I’ll bring supper to you” he said as he pushed Ludwig to lay down and tucked him in. Ludwig didn’t protest, too mortified and scared to do so. 

Romulus left and returned a few minutes later with Ludwig’s meal “Here, you need to keep your strength up” he said as he set the tray on the desk next to the bed. Ludwig sat up and pulled the food closer, hoping with his attention on the food that earliers actions would leave his mind. 

He didn’t want to feel so awkward every time he and Romulus were in the same room, he also didn’t want the Anthromorph to find out about his terrible thoughts; he was sure if that happened he would no longer be welcome in the safety of their home. With such a thought in mind, Ludwig’s resolve fortified; he was not going to allow himself such thoughts about his savior nor would he allow himself to act upon them.


End file.
